What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Nylon-12
Acrylates Crosspolymer
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Caprylate
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Laureth-8
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Nylon-12, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycerin, Oleanolic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lecithin, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Caprylate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Laureth-8, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Zinc Oxide 17%
Cosmetic Colorant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Tapioca Starch
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Oxide 17%, Bisabolol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenethyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysorbate 60, Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Tapioca Starch, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
